Novelty (1863 ship)

Novelty was launched in 1863 by P.N. Russell and Company, the Sydney foundry owned and operated by the Australian engineer Peter Nicol Russell. Its length was 82.5 ft, beam 15.5 ft, depth 5.3 ft, weight 376 tons.^[1] After being delivered to New Zealand, Novelty was outfitted and furnished in Auckland, where there was a launching ceremony on 1 February 1863. The New Zealander newspaper described Novelty in its report of the launching ceremony:

From truck to deck, all is clean, well set up, and ship shape' her masts well placed and stayed; and her rigging sweated down until her shrouds stand out like so many bars of iron;-in fact, the greater proportion of her stays are so, being of iron wire rope. She is fitted with double topsail yards...

She has a top-gallant forecastle, and raised quarter-deck; with an officer's house and cabin staircase...

The saloon is a very chaste apartment, of great length and height with remo styles and mouldings, with open iron scroll work for ventilation. which gives a graceful and airy appearance. The births are roomy and well planned. [sic] ^[2]

Novelty was owned by a Mr T Henderson,^[3] its agents were Henderson & Macfarlane, Auckland, and its master from the time of launching was a Captain Austin.

From the date of launching, the vessel made numerous international voyages from New Zealand, carrying passengers^[4] and cargo.^[5] Most voyages recorded are between New Zealand and Australia, though the vessel also sailed to San Francisco and Tahiti, with passengers and cargo.^[6] Novelty was also used as a military troop transport.^[7]